


Only Smoke and Rosedust

by Snow



Category: Deathstalker - Simon R. Green
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Don't Have to Know Canon, Drugs, Gen, Roommates, conversational sparring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-24
Updated: 2010-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-14 02:03:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/144135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snow/pseuds/Snow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An AU, where Valentine and Finlay are college roommates.  You can guess that that goes well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Only Smoke and Rosedust

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sithwitch13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sithwitch13/gifts).



> You did say _anything_. I hope you meant that.
> 
> A treat.
> 
> Betaed by the lovely lynnmonster.

"You have to understand," Valentine Wolfe says, looking carefully from his elegant position on his bed to regard his foppish roommate, "I'm not really here for the learning."

"Yes, you have made that abundantly clear," the roommate, who'd introduced himself at the beginning of the semester as Finlay Campbell, says. "You're also not here for the networking, or the company. Or the drugs. You brought enough of those yourself to last you several years, even at the rate you use them."

Valentine laughs, brittle and dangerous. "Same reason you are. Because father dearest wanted me to. We're both set for life already, I'm sure you've noticed. The difference is that I'm enjoying it."

Finlay shakes his head lightly, brushing blond hair out of his eyes before pausing to adjust the sparkling gold trim on his bright blue jacket. "Enjoying it? You're barely noticing it happening."

Valentine shrugs, regarding Finlay with mascara-rimmed eyes. "I think that's life in general. Anyway, you've gone almost a month without trying to make conversation with me. Why are you making a nuisance of yourself now?"

"The curiosity overwhelmed me," Finlay remarks blandly.

Valentine smiles back. "Probably better not to let it."

"Yes, well, I've become aware of the rumors that say we're dating."

Valentine's smile doesn't even waver. He can't trust that such rumors even exist, and if they did he wouldn't care. It might even be amusing, depending on how Finlay takes it. "They do say that opposites attract."

Finlay fails to look amused, but his eyes are still on Valentine.

"I'd be so good to you," Valentine croons, and that has Finlay shifting uncomfortably and reaching for one of his textbooks to indicate that his attention is waning.

Valentine is still congratulating himself on his successful handling of the conversation when Finlay apparently recovers, a couple of seconds later.

"You're clever, though," he's saying. "You could be more than the drug-addled son of your father, if you wanted."

Valentine gives Finlay his most withering look. "I think you're more of a disappointment to your family than I am to mine. But perhaps that's because I made sure to manage their expectations better. Still, I think my father would be less than pleased with a peacock for a son. At least I don't have gambling debts."

Finlay shrugs, and Valentine can tell that there's something he very much wants to talk about, but he's too used to keeping it secret. So many people are just dying to spill everything they know, if only they could find a willing ear.

Right now Valentine doesn't have anything better to do than to be that ear, if Finlay's going to insist. "What, the gambling debts are just a cover?"

Finlay stiffens, making that the wrong approach to have made. "You couldn't understand the slightest bit about why I do what I do."

Valentine shrugs. "I can tell that I bother you. But you're right, I don't know why."

"You're flirting with death every time you try another of those 'designer drugs'," Finlay snaps.

Valentine's smile widens. "And you think you're the only one who should get to flirt with death. That's it, isn't it? You think I'm suicidal, but I'm not intent on going out in a miserably honorable way like you."

"I'm not miserable," Finlay replies softly.

"You're not happy either. Don't worry, I'm not going to judge you. I wouldn't even be talking to you if you weren't so insistent that I do so."

"You don't have to be here," Finlay says.

"It _is_ my room as well. I'm sure you haven't missed that."

"It would be understandable if I had. You might sleep through your classes, but you're almost never sleeping at a normal hour of the night."

Valentine laughs. "You're in college, darling. Look around you. No one's keeping normal hours except for you. And you don't have to. If you're jealous of my life, I suppose you could try for a cheap imitation of it. You wouldn't be the first."

Finlay frowns again. "I'm _better_ than you," he tells Valentine. "Maybe we're both set for life, but that's not enough for me. I want to be more than the sum of my father's plans for me."

Valentine is beginning to become bored with this little dance they're doing. "And I want to be less," Valentine says. "That's my right, isn't it?"

"That's not right, though. You don't want that. But you'll end up with it if you spend your whole life pretending it is."

"I'm eighteen. I think I'd die very happy if I spent the rest of life doing what I'm doing now." Valentine's eyes dare Finlay to challenge him.

Finlay turns back to his book again. "We could be allies," he says, not glancing up.

"I think the word you want is _friends_ ," Valentine drawls. "And no, we really couldn't be."

"The word I meant is allies. I'm perfectly aware that you don't do friends, nor, for all your flirting, do you do boyfriends or girlfriends. Because I'm the only person even remotely connected to you by rumor."

"Is there any point to your meanderings?"

"I don't care if you're arrested for illegal drug usage-"

"I won't be."

"Or not. I do, however, wish you would do it a little less often in our room."

"Want to be able to bring your girlfriend home without me terrifying her away?" Valentine purrs.

"I don't have a girlfriend."

Valentine snorts at that, but he doesn't need Finlay to know how Valentine knows he's lying. Better to bring out those details if Finlay decides to interfere after all. Valentine gets the feeling that Finlay's girlfriend isn't the sort that his father would approve of and that Finlay is just as aware of the line of acceptable behavior as Valentine is. They're also, Valentine thinks, equally likely to complete ignore that line, though for vastly different reasons.

"So you want me to be high less often in our room? Or just be less often in _our_ room?"

Finlay sighs. "You've somehow managed to make this be about me judging you. That's not what I wanted to have a conversation about."

Valentine grins at him. "I know. I'm brilliant like that."

Finlay sends one last frown and gives up, truly focusing on his textbook this time.

Valentine just hopes they can manage another month without talking, even if that was a little fun.

**Author's Note:**

> I welcome and appreciate comments, including constructive criticism.


End file.
